


Forgiveness Isn't Easy

by springsteenicious



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: F/M, Fix-It of Sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26867146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/springsteenicious/pseuds/springsteenicious
Summary: Eric didn't go to Africa, so when Hyde comes back from Vegas married to a stripper, Eric is the only one who can talk some sense into him.
Relationships: Eric Forman/Donna Pinciotti, Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde
Comments: 14
Kudos: 60





	Forgiveness Isn't Easy

Eric sat at the kitchen table with Hyde, who was resting his head in his hand and staring blankly at the table top. Red was pouring coffee by the counter. 

Yesterday, they'd found out Hyde had married a stripper while in Vegas. Eric was still trying to wrap his head around it. Nothing about the situation made sense. 

"What the hell did I do?" Hyde asked. 

"You married a stripper, dumbass," Red said. He took his cup of coffee into the living room. 

"Yeah, Hyde, what were you thinking?" Eric asked. 

"I don't know. I don't even remember that night," Hyde said. He scrubbed his face with his hands. "Is nineteen too early to have a midlife crisis?" 

"Nah, 'cause I feel like I had one my entire year off," Eric said. "It's a good thing I didn't follow through with dying my hair." 

"You were gonna dye your hair? Why?" Hyde asked. 

"Donna dyed her hair, I was bored with brown, y'know. I was thinking I'd look good as a blonde or a redhead." Eric stared at the spice rack across the kitchen. "You know it doesn't seem like such a bad idea…" 

"If you become a blonde, I'm shipping you out to California. Then Malibu Ken can become your new best friend." Hyde finished off his coffee and got up to wash his mug.

Eric drummed his fingers on the table. "Didn't Jackie compare you to Malibu Ken once?" 

Hyde gave him a look. "You're really gonna bring up Jackie right now?" 

"Uh, yeah. You're not actually planning on staying with Samantha, are you?" Eric asked. 

"I don't know, man." Hyde scrubbed his coffee mug harder, causing suds to spill out into the sink. 

Eric blinked rapidly, then stood up from the table and stood across from Hyde on the other side of the counter. "If you stay with Sam, you're a bigger dumbass than me." 

Hyde rinsed out his mug and put it on the drying rack. He dried off his hands, then walked towards the door. "I need to go check on Grooves. Wanna come with?" 

Eric stared at his friend for a moment. Hyde was bound to make a bad decision if Eric didn't force him to do differently. "Sure." 

~

"Why is the store closed?" Hyde asked outside of Grooves. 

"Maybe W.B. heard about your stripper wife and closed your store," Eric suggested. He was going to bring up Sam as much as possible today to guilt trip Hyde into divorcing her. 

Hyde rolled his eyes and unlocked the store. Inside, Leo was surrounded by other hippies. The smell of hemp and incense assaulted Eric's nose and made his eyes water.   
Hyde groaned. "Just when I thought today couldn't get any worse, Leo turns my record store into a hippie den. Freakin' awesome." 

"Leo, man, you're fired!" Hyde said. They were sitting in a circle and Eric couldn't bring himself to feel mad about Hyde's wife anymore. That didn't mean he wasn't still gonna bring it up. 

"Why, man?" Leo asked. 

Eric laughed. "'Cause you turned the record store into a hippie den! But Hyde should be firing himself for marrying a stripper while he was still technically still with Jackie." 

"You married a stripper, man? That's awesome." Leo's face lit up. "Wait, what about loud girl? You love loud girl!" 

"Both of you shut up. And I can't fire you, Leo. I don't have it in me," Hyde said. "Man, is this week crappy." 

"Isn't it crappy when you marry someone who you're not in love with?" Eric asked. 

"Forman, if you don't shut up about my stupid decisions, I'm gonna kick your ass," Hyde said. 

"Fine, I'll leave it for now. But as soon as we leave this store, I'm bringing it up again!" 

~

Eric sat next to Hyde on the couch in the living room. They'd been sitting there for an hour, watching _The Birds_. Not the best movie they could be watching, but Hyde's predicament wasn't the best either. Especially with his stripper wife still roaming around the house. She was currently in the kitchen, eating dinner. 

"What am I gonna do?" Hyde asked. 

"Are you kidding?" Eric turned toward Hyde. "You're gonna go divorce Sam and then you're gonna beg for Jackie's forgiveness." 

"She's not gonna forgive me," Hyde said quietly. He drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch. 

"You don't know that," Eric said. "If you tell Jackie the truth, that it was a drunk, stupid mistake, maybe she'll understand." 

"You don't know Jackie like I do. You don't know what this-" Hyde gestured between himself and the kitchen door,"-will mean to her." 

"What will it mean, then?" 

"I told her I wasn't ready to be married right before Sam showed up." Hyde stopped drumming his fingers on the couch arm, but his leg started bouncing. 

"And you're not. Just tell Jackie it was a drunken mistake. Then give her time to get over it. I know you two will figure things out," Eric said. 

Hyde smiled sadly. "College is making you even sappier, huh, Forman?" 

"It sure is." Eric stood up and turned off the television. Then, he grinned and did a little dance with his shoulders. "Now let's go divorce your wife!" 

Hyde sighed and stood up. They both walked to the kitchen to find it empty except for Red, who was reading the newspaper.

"Where's Sam?" Eric asked. 

"In the basement with the rest of your idiot friends," Red said, not looking up from his paper. 

"Is… Is Jackie down there?" Hyde asked. 

Red closed his newspaper and dropped it on the kitchen table. "Yes, she is. And as soon as you divorce that stripper, you better be on your knees begging for Jackie's forgiveness. If not, I'm kicking you out." 

Hyde nodded and walked toward the basement stairs. Eric chased after him. In the basement, Sam was standing by the dryer, talking to Fez and Kelso. Donna was reading a magazine on the couch. Jackie was sitting next to her, glaring at Sam. 

"So, what is your favorite song to strip to?" Fez asked. 

Hyde walked over to the group as Sam opened her mouth to respond. "Shut up, Fez." Eric saw him glance at Jackie before turning to Sam and saying, "Sam, we're getting a divorce." 

Sam frowned, but nodded. "That won't be necessary. I'm already married." 

"What?" everyone else said in unison. 

"Why the hell did you follow me here, then?" Hyde asked. 

"I needed a break from Vegas. You were an easy out," Sam said with a shrug. 

"Well, go find another easy out because I never actually wanted to be married to you," Hyde said. "Don't know what the hell possessed me to do it in Vegas." 

Eric glanced over at Jackie to see her watching with undivided attention. He brought his gaze back to Samantha, who was frowning slightly. She walked upstairs, probably to get her suitcases. 

"Well, Hyde, now you can say you were married to a stripper," Fez said. "You lucky bastard." 

"Yeah, I'd rather forget this ever happened," Hyde said. He took a deep breath and walked to his room, shutting the door behind him. 

Eric sat down in Hyde's usual chair. "Well, this has been a wild day." 

"Yeah. Hyde started today with a wife and ended it single," Donna said. 

"I do not understand why he would send the big boobs stripper away! She was willing to stay here with him and have sex with him, but he pushed her off! I will never understand," Fez said. He crossed the room to the lawn chair and plunked down in it. 

"Yeah, if I found out I was married to a stripper, I'd be so happy," Kelso said. "I mean, you got this super hot chick that knows how to do a bunch of sexy stuff and you get it for free!" 

Eric looked at Jackie. She was being uncharacteristically quiet, staring at the wooden spool table. She stood up abruptly and walked to Hyde's room. 

He hoped they would work it out. They both seemed so much happier together, despite how unnatural and creepy their relationship was. 

~

Jackie knocked on Steven's door, praying he answered. Luckily, the door opened and Steven let her inside. She walked in and stood by his cot. He closed the door, then took off his sunglasses and placed them on his dresser. That meant he wasn't going to hide from her. 

Steven stood by the armchair and looked down at the ground. He looked so ashamed. Jackie hated seeing him like that, but it was necessary. 

"Why'd you marry her?" Jackie asked. 

Steven looked up at her. "I honestly don't know. I don't remember that night at all. I had no idea anything had happened until she showed up yesterday." 

Jackie nodded. "You know how much that hurts me, right?" 

Steven nodded. "I don't have an excuse for it. Hell, no excuse is good enough. All I can tell you is that she wasn't the girl I wanted to marry and marrying her is the biggest regret of my life. I don't expect you to forgive me, no matter what Forman says." 

"What did Eric say?" 

The corners of Steven's mouth quirked up a little, but went down within a second. "He said he thought you would understand that it was just a drunken mistake. He doesn't know you like I do, though." Steven smiled sadly. "I know you won't forgive this easily." 

"Not easily, no… but I will forgive it. Eventually. I just need some time," Jackie said. "And a minute to slap Eric for thinking I'd forgive you right away for marrying someone else." 

"Nah, don't slap Forman. He's the reason we're talking right now. He's the one that made me see what was right," Steven said. 

His words sent chills down Jackie's spine. If Eric hadn't been there today, Steven might have stayed married to Sam. Then he and Jackie would have been separated forever. 

"Would you really have stayed married to her?" Jackie asked. 

"Not forever. Just until I got over you… Which, looking back, was a stupid idea because I don't think I could ever get over you." Steven stared at his sunglasses. 

"I could never get over you either," Jackie said. 

Steven looked up at her. "I really am sorry." 

"I know you are. I just need some time to process. Then we can figure things out," Jackie said. She took one of his hands and squeezed it gently. "We'll be all right. I believe in us." 

Steven smiled softly. "If you believe in us, then I believe in us too." 

"Good. We're worth believing in." 

~

Eric looked back as Jackie strutted out of Hyde's room. Her hair flowed behind her as she walked toward him. She stopped right in front of him. 

"Eric, thank you for talking some sense into Steven. I, um…" she seemed to force her next words out, "I owe you one." 

"Oh yeah, you do. I spent five hours guilt tripping Hyde today. He's not easy to guilt trip," Eric said. 

"I'm not gonna owe you one if you're a little bitch about it, though," Jackie said. 

Donna chuckled. Kelso yelled, "BURN!" 

"Fine. Sorry," Eric said. 

Jackie smiled, patted his shoulder and walked out the door. Eric watched her go, then turned to Donna. 

"Do you think they'll be okay?" he asked. 

Donna looked back in the direction of Hyde's room. "I think so." 

"Man, I hope they will, 'cause I never wanna stop talking about doing it with Jackie in front of Hyde," Kelso said, punctuating the sentence with a laugh. 

"You like getting punched?" Fez asked. 

"Some times, yeah," Kelso responded. 

Fez stared at Kelso for a moment, then shook his head and turned to Eric. "I really hope they work things out because Hyde is much less cranky with her. All that scowling is not good for his skin." 

Donna rubbed Eric's shoulder. "They'll be all right." 

~

Eric came down the stairs to the basement with his backpack full of textbooks slung over his shoulder. Hyde was sitting in his chair and Jackie was sitting on the couch. Kelso was in the lawn chair. 

Eric sat down next to Jackie. "Okay, Jackie, you said you owed me one, so I'm using that now." 

"For what, your homework?" Jackie asked. 

"Wait, what do you mean you owe him one?" Hyde asked. 

"For talking sense into you, duh. 'Cause you've been making bad decisions," Jackie said. 

Hyde pursed his lips and nodded. "You got me there." 

"Yeah, Hyde's turning into an idiot," Kelso said, smiling. 

"You're still the king, though," Hyde said. 

"Always will be," Eric said. He turned back to Jackie. "Anyway, Donna's mad at me and I need you to help me plan a romantic gesture for her." 

Eric was totally capable of planning a romantic gesture for Donna, but he wanted to talk to Jackie alone. Hyde hadn't been telling him anything about his situation with Jackie. It had been two weeks since Sam left and Eric hadn't seen or heard anything. He hoped Jackie would clear things up. 

"Sure! I love planning romantic things," Jackie bounced on the couch excitedly. Eric glanced at Hyde, who was watching Jackie with a small smile. "When do we start?" 

"Whenever you're available," Eric said. 

"I'm available now!" 

"What? But you promised me and Hyde you'd watch The Price Is Right with us!" Kelso said, gesturing at the TV. 

"She did not promise. You just decided we were all watching The Price Is Right," Hyde said. 

"Yeah, what Steven said." Jackie turned back to Eric. "Let's go to The Hub and I'll tell you exactly how to be romantic." 

"Sounds good," Eric said. He stood up to leave. 

"Wait, but I wanna know how to be romantic!" Kelso said, holding out a hand to block Eric's path. 

"Why do you need to know how to be romantic? You don't have a girlfriend," Hyde said. 

"Yeah, well neither do you, Hyde. Y'know, you're the one that needs to learn how to be romantic. It sure ain't marrying someone who's not your girlfriend," Kelso said. 

Jackie and Eric both turned and looked at Hyde. Hyde glared at Kelso for a moment, then relented. "Yeah, you're right." 

Kelso grinned. Jackie stood up next to Eric. "Well, Michael, since you want to know… Being romantic isn't about a big gesture. It's about knowing the person you love well enough to make them happy." 

Kelso nodded, like he understood. "I don't get it." 

"Still the King," Hyde said. 

Eric laughed, then said, "Jackie, ready to go?" 

"Yep!" 

Eric left his backpack in the basement and led Jackie to the Vista Cruiser, parked in the driveway. They drove to the Hub in silence. When they got there, Eric ordered sodas for them both and Jackie grabbed a table.

"So, why is Donna mad at you?" Jackie asked. 

"Eh, just something stupid I said after class yesterday. I can handle it," Eric said. He leaned forward. "I actually wanted to talk about what's going on between you and Hyde. He won't tell me anything." 

Jackie looked down at the table and fiddled with a napkin. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. Steven and I haven't really hung out much. It's easier to deal with what he did when I don't have to see him." 

"Why?" 

"Lately, he's been… distant? No, more like… more like he's closing in on himself. He did it for a little while after he cheated on me. When I see him like that, I just want to make him feel better, but I can't let myself do that. Not yet," Jackie said. She sipped her soda. 

"So you're still mad at him?" 

"Honestly, I'm not sure. That skank was only around for a day. It sort of doesn't feel like a real thing that happened." Jackie drummed her fingers on the table, her manicured nails clacking against the wood. 

Eric stared pensively at the jukebox across the room. "Hyde's gonna kill me for telling you this, but… The other day, we had a circle. Just the two of us. I don't think he remembers it." 

"He hasn't been very good at remembering things lately, has he?" Jackie asked.

"No." Eric smiled. "He said he's pissed that he married someone who wasn't you." 

Jackie's fingers stopped half an inch above the table. She looked up at Eric. "Really?" 

Eric nodded. "He was gonna say yes, you know. To your ultimatum." 

"Shut up!" Jackie said. Tears were forming in her eyes. "If you keep saying things like that, I'm gonna end up forgiving Steven today!" 

"Why can't you?" Eric asked. 

"Because he married someone who wasn't me!" Jackie's voice was getting louder with every word, so Eric held a finger to his lips to get her to quiet down. She lowered the volume, but not by much. "Marriage is supposed to be a once in a lifetime thing." 

Eric nodded. "Yeah… Look, I'm not trying to make you forgive him. I realize that you need time. I just wanted to find out what was happening because you're right, Hyde has been closing in on himself. But he'll figure things out. He always does." 

Jackie sighed. "Yeah, he always does…" 

~

Eric sat with his arm around Donna on the basement couch. Jackie sat next to them, on the side of the couch closest to Hyde, who was sitting in his chair. Fez was seated on the lawn chair and eating M&Ms. 

Kelso came through the door to the basement carrying a 12-pack and some Pop Rocks. "All right, Hyde said eating Pop Rocks with a fizzy drink would make my stomach explode, so I got beer and Pop Rocks!" 

"That's an awesome idea," Eric said. "Give me some Pop Rocks." 

"I'm handing out beers first, hold on." Kelso put the Pop Rocks down on the spool table with the 12-pack, then started pulling beers out. Jackie declined, as usual. Kelso handed one to Fez, Donna and Eric, then turned to Hyde. 

"I don't want one. I think we all know what happened last time I was drunk," Hyde said. "I'm gonna go get a soda. Jackie, you want a Tab?" 

"Yeah, thanks," Jackie said. 

Hyde nodded and went upstairs to the kitchen. Jackie stared at the wooden spool table with a small smile on her face. A minute later, Hyde was back in his chair with a cherry cola and Jackie was holding a Tab. 

Hyde held up his cherry cola in Jackie's direction. "To staying sober." 

Jackie smiled and tapped her soda can against his. "To staying sober." 

Eric held up his beer toward Kelso. "To making our stomachs explode." 

Kelso tapped his beer can against Eric's a little more aggressively, spilling beer out the top. "Let's do this!" 

Kelso threw the Pop Rocks into his mouth then guzzled down some beer. Eric did the same. His mouth felt tingly, but not like it would explode. 

Kelso swallowed. "That was disappointing." 

"Yeah," Eric said. 

"It's only disappointing 'cause you're both morons," Hyde said. 

"But Hyde, you're a moron now, too," Eric pointed out. "And morons get Pop Rocks." Eric handed over the candy. 

"That's a shitty consolation prize for making bad decisions," Hyde said. He poured the Pop Rocks in his mouth. 

"Yeah," Kelso said with a mouth full of the popping candy, "but they make your mouth all tingly and cherry flavored. It's like a party in your mouth!" 

"Speaking of parties…" Donna said. "Eric and I wanted to invite you all to the Halloween dance our college is hosting. Costumes are required, and there's gonna be candy and beer and dancing. Admission is free." 

"That sounds fun! I am in," Fez said. Then, he chugged the rest of his beer. 

"Aw yeah! I've been looking for a chance to show off my Gumby costume!" Kelso said excitedly. 

"Gumby?" Eric shook his head. He would see the costume on Halloween. "Donna and I will be going as Luke and Leia." 

"I'll have to find a non-lame costume, then," Hyde said. 

"Ooh, Steven, what if you went as Danny Zuko and I was Sandy?" Jackie asked. 

"I don't care how mad you are at me, I'm not dressing up as Travolta," Hyde said. 

"Fine. I would've looked really hot in those leather pants, though, so I hope you realize what you'll be missing out on," Jackie said. 

"Oh come on! Hyde, please dress up as Danny Zuko so I can see the leather pants," Fez begged. 

"No," Hyde said adamantly. 

"Well, whatever you end up dressed as, be at the college at seven," Donna said. "We'll meet you there." 

~

Hyde was rifling through his dresser, trying to find at least one of the necklaces he used to wear years ago. He needed one for the costume he planned to wear on Halloween. 

The door to his bedroom was open. Hyde stuck his head out to make sure no one was out in the basement before he looked in the next possible place the necklace might be. The coast was clear. 

Hyde went under his cot and pulled out a large shoe box, the one that once held the pair of boots Jackie bought him after her breakup with Kelso. Inside were objects and photographs from his time with Jackie. 

He took a deep breath and pushed aside Polaroids and Jackie's love notes and other sentimental crap from their relationship. _A-ha_. There were the necklaces. 

"What's all that?" an all-too-familiar voice asked. 

Damn it. She was the last person he wanted to catch him like this. Hyde sat back on the ground and looked up at Jackie, who was staring at the shoe box. 

"It's, um…" Hyde scratched the back of his head. "You know what, just look in there." He pushed the box toward her. 

Jackie sat on the ground and pulled the box into her lap. She picked up one of the Polaroids gingerly, as if it might crumble at her touch. "Why were you looking at all this stuff?" 

Hyde moved closer and pulled out the necklaces. "Needed these for my costume." 

"Why were they in here?" 

"It's hard to explain." Hyde stood up and placed the necklaces on his dresser. It really was hard to explain; the necklaces had little connection to Jackie. He'd stopped wearing them the night he got arrested for her. 

Jackie was looking through the box still when Hyde looked at her again. "I can't believe you kept all this." She was smiling. 

Hyde sat down in front of her on the floor again. Jackie was holding a picture of them in the Formans' living room, sitting on the couch together and laughing. Donna had taken the picture. 

"So, uh… Why'd you come to my room in the first place?" Hyde asked. 

Jackie looked up from the picture. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to the Halloween dance with me. Like, as a date." 

"Does that mean…" 

"No, not yet. I'm not completely sure I'm over it yet. Halloween will be like a trial run. I'll see how I feel after that, then decide." 

Hyde nodded. "All right. I'll pick you up at six thirty, then we can drive to the college?" 

Jackie smiled. "Yeah." 

"Cool." 

Jackie turned her attention back to the box. "I have my own shoe box under my bed full of stuff from our relationship. You'll have to come see it sometime." 

"What is Hyde seeing sometime?" Forman asked from the door of Hyde's room. 

Hyde grabbed the box from Jackie, put the lid on and pushed it under his cot. "Nothing." 

Forman gasped. "You let her see the Jackie box?" 

Jackie grinned. Hyde glared at Forman. "You know about the box? Have you been snooping around my room?" 

"Yeah, from time to time," Forman said. Hyde gave him a look. "What? You don't tell me anything. I have to find out somehow." 

"I'm gonna have to put a new lock on my door." Hyde stood up and walked over to his dresser. Jackie stood up as well. 

"What are you two doing in here, anyway?" Forman's face lit up. "Did she forgive you?" 

"Not yet," Jackie said. "But we are going to the Halloween dance together." 

"Oooooh." 

"What are you, five?" Hyde asked. 

Forman just grinned in response. 

~

Jackie looked at herself in the mirror one last time. Her costume was perfect. She had decided to go as Sandy, even though Steven wasn't going to be Danny. She looked hotter than hell in her leather pants and black top. Her hair was styled perfectly and she'd found a great pair of heels in her mother's closet. 

The doorbell rang and Jackie hurried downstairs to get it. When she opened the door, she forgot to breathe. Steven looked really damn foxy tonight. 

He had on jeans and an untucked button down that was only half buttoned, exposing most of his chest. The sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbows, showing off bracelets he must have borrowed from Donna. He was wearing one of his old necklaces and a longer, more pendant-like necklace that also must've been Donna's.

Steven wasn't wearing his sunglasses and Jackie watched as his eyes raked over her body. "Wow," he said. 

"Wow," Jackie repeated. "Who are you supposed to be?" 

"Robert Plant," Steven said with a grin. "Just imagine if I had long hair."

"No, I like it short," Jackie said. 

Steven smiled that special smile reserved just for her. Then he offered his arm to her. "Ready to go?" 

"Yeah." She took his arm and they walked to the El Camino together. 

~

The dance hall's colored lights and cobweb decorations couldn't distract Eric from Donna. She looked gorgeous in her Leia costume. He couldn't wait to take it off of her later. 

"Oh, there's Hyde and Jackie," Donna said, pointing behind Eric. She waved them over as Eric turned to see them, walking in their direction past a fake cauldron bubbling with smoke. 

"Jackie, I thought you weren't gonna be Sandy," Eric said. 

"I decided I look so hot in the costume it doesn't matter," Jackie said. 

"Damn, Hyde, you look good," Donna said. "I was really confused when you asked to borrow my jewelry, but this is awesome." 

"Yeah. You should go on stage and sing _Stairway to Heaven,_ " Eric said. 

Hyde laughed. "My voice isn't cut out for that." 

Jackie gave him a weird look. "Yes it is, I've heard you sing before. Remember on our-" 

Hyde covered her mouth with his hand. "Jackie, that's private." He pulled his hand away abruptly. "Why'd you lick my hand?" 

"Because you're ruining my makeup!" Jackie said. 

"Jackie, you have outdone yourself," Fez said as he walked over. He was dressed as the Native American from the band the Village People. Kelso was with him, wearing all green. His face and hair were green too. 

"Kelso, when you said you were gonna be Gumby, this isn't what I thought it would look like," Hyde said. "What I mean to say is I hate it." 

"Yeah, well, I don't even know what you're supposed to be!" Kelso said. 

"Robert Plant," Hyde said, gesturing to himself. 

"Yeah, doesn't he look so foxy?" Jackie said, biting her lip. Hyde smiled at her. 

"Did you two figure things out finally?" Fez asked. 

"Not yet, but we're close," Jackie said. 

That was good. But it also meant the situation was completely out of Eric's control. He could no longer help them as he had done the past month. 

Eric was about to comment on Kelso's costume when ABBA's Fernando started playing over the speakers in the dance hall. Donna grinned and took Eric's hand. "Let's dance."

Eric let himself get dragged out onto the dance floor by Donna. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hyde letting Jackie do the same to him. Yeah, Eric couldn't help them anymore, but they'd be just fine. 

Meaning Eric could enjoy some time with his pretty lady. 

~

Jackie was having a fantastic night. Steven looked foxy as ever and now he was dancing with her to ABBA. His hands were on her hips, guiding their rhythm. His necklace swayed back and forth along with his body, and Jackie couldn't get enough of it. 

"I forgive you," Jackie said, loud enough to be heard over the music but not shouting. 

Steven stopped moving. He was smiling a little. "Really?" 

Jackie nodded. "Yeah." 

Steven smiled fully. "Thanks. I don't deserve it, but I'm glad you forgive me." 

"Of course you deserve it. Yeah, you married someone who wasn't me, but it was just a mistake. And you don't even remember it. Maybe she forced you into it. We have no way of knowing," Jackie said. 

Steven looked at her with an expression she couldn't place. "You're the only chick I wanna marry, you know that?" 

A frenzy of butterflies fluttered in Jackie's stomach. "I do now." She tilted her head up and pressed her lips against his for the first time in over a month. His mouth moved against hers, falling back into the rhythm they'd gone so long without. 

When they eventually parted, Jackie looked up at Steven. His unguarded eyes shined in the colored lighting of the dance hall. His eyes told her just how much he regretted Sam, just how much he loved Jackie. 

Jackie could have forgiven him a week ago, but she needed him to wait. Needed him to know it was serious. Now, she knew he was already aware of how serious his actions were. 

"I love you," Jackie said. 

"I love you too," Steven said, without hesitation or a glance around to see who might overhear. 

Jackie kissed him again, but they both ended up smiling into the kiss and ruining it. Jackie pulled back so she could see Steven's smile. 

"I don't know how you keep forgiving me," Steven said. "First the nurse, then the whole commitment thing, now Sam… I don't get it, but I definitely appreciate it." 

"I keep forgiving you because you keep forgiving me. We've both hurt each other, but we keep moving forward. We can't move forward without forgiveness. Our love can't move forward without forgiveness," Jackie said. 

"You're so freaking intelligent. That's one of the reasons I fell for you," Steven said. 

"Yeah? And what are the other reasons?" Jackie asked. 

"Still fishing for compliments, huh?" Steven leaned in closer. His lips grazed her ear as he said quietly, "I'll tell you later." 

"Okay." Jackie kissed him again, reveling in the taste and feel of his lips. She couldn't wait to hear his reasons. 

~

Eric ladeled some probably spiked punch into two plastic cups for himself and Donna. He also grabbed some Snickers minis for himself before walking back to where his friends had set up home base. 

When Eric reached them, Kelso and Fez were in the middle of a heated argument about whose costume was lamer. 

"Guys," Donna interrupted, "Kelso's costume is clearly lamer. He's just wearing green." 

"I look just like Gumby! And don't be mean to this costume, 'cause I used permanent marker on my face!" Kelso said. 

Donna exchanged a smile with Eric. He handed her one of the cups of punch and looked around the dance hall. "Has anyone seen Hyde or Jackie?" 

"No. I saw them making out on the dance floor, then a girl got tangled in my head dress and when I looked back they were gone," Fez said. He stuffed a couple Tootsie Rolls in his mouth. "That was about forty minutes ago." 

Kelso looked over Eric's shoulder. "Hey, there they are." 

Hyde and Jackie walked over to them. Jackie's hair was messy and her shirt was rumpled. Hyde's shirt was buttoned wrong, but it didn't really matter since it wasn't buttoned all the way. A smudge of red lipstick was visible on his collarbone through the open part of his shirt. 

"I see you two got back together," Donna said, speaking Eric's thoughts. 

"How could you tell?" Hyde asked sarcastically. 

"The lipstick mark on your chest," Eric said, pointing to the mark in question. Hyde immediately looked down at his collarbone, then licked his thumb and wiped it off.

"I'm just happy to be back with my Puddin' Pop!" Jackie said, wrapping her arms around Hyde's waist. 

"Aw," Eric crooned. "Is Puddin' Pop happy to be back with Jackie?" 

"Puddin' Pop is gonna be happy when he kicks your ass," Hyde said. He draped his arm over Jackie's shoulders. Jackie pouted up at him. "But yeah, I'm glad I'm with Jackie again." 

Eric smiled. Hyde had made some dumb decisions, but he wouldn't make them again. At least, not if Eric had anything to say about it.

**Author's Note:**

> number 14 for my numbered draft game on Tumblr at springsteenicious


End file.
